we're under the sheets and you're killing me
by McMuffin
Summary: It's a long road to recovery for Isabella after a brutal attack from her husband... Every night is a battle she must win. His hands crawl along her skin; his fingers sting her cheeks... Her tears contaminate her pillow. Robin/Isabella.


This fic has been plaguing me _forever_ and in the end, it hasn't turned out how I planned, but I think it's turned out better. I hope you enjoy it... it gets kind of dark.

* * *

She's a brunette but not at all like the last one he loved.

She serves but herself and trusts but him and her. She's about revenge and passion and being self-sufficient. He tries to break her down - slowly - to mould her into someone else, but fails. He learns to work with her, not with someone she's not.

There are stolen kisses through windows and handfuls of strawberries thrown down into baskets. Love notes disguised with "official seals" and hidden in pre-planned stolen treasure. She's technically still married to Squire Thornton and is being courted by Prince John and he's technically in a relationship with Kate, but still they sneak around.

Robin tries to keep up his relationship with Kate for pretenses sake, but Much is always there and Robin's never liked hurting his best friend. Plus Kate's rash decisions and her inability to obey his orders are starting to get to him, and nearly losing a few fights due to disagreements between the couple have led him to break off their relationship and return to being friends. Kate agrees, knowing it wasn't working, though she still accuses Robin of harboring feelings for Isabella - not altogether untrue, but he's not going to admit that - and things are tense for a while. But he couldn't have stayed with Kate, because it was cute at first, but eventually Kate's idolization didn't compare to Isabella's acceptance and he began to despise the pedestal he was constantly placed upon in the forest.

Robin spends more time with the female sheriff, sneaking off every other night to see her at an un-guarded corner of the castle. Then she starts to sneak away to the fields, meeting him in the grass and taking him under the moonlight. They've agreed to disagree over their romantic situation, with every opportunity to flee and build that life she so desperately craves but he can't possibly allow to happen until he feels the people are safe. And she can't exactly un-outlaw him without the Prince finding out, and he can't exactly steal her away with him without the gang finding out. She puts up with his right doing because she loves him, and he works extra hard to keep her happy because he loves her.

* * *

"He's here," is all that the hasty note in Much's hands reads, and he frowns as he wonders what it means and where it came from as there's a smeared seal on it and it's on top of Robin's stuff. Robin's currently taking a piss after returning from spying and the gang is sitting around waiting for his news.

"He's here... What does it mean?" Allan asks.

When Robin returns, eager to read the message Isabella's written for him - she sneaks these notes into a hollow log near the edge of the Locksley - the gang turn to look at him.

"Who's here?" Kate asks Robin curiously.

"What?" Robin frowns. Much holds out the note, and he reads it with wide eyes, "Crap!"

"What does it mean?"

"Who is this he?"

Robin jumps up to grab his stuff. "Isabella's husband..." He swings his quiver over his back and turns to face the gang, "Stay here, I'll be back soon, I just need to check on him."

"Why?" Kate asks, flapping her arms at her sides.

"He... Might be making a deal with Prince John," Robin lies. He can't let them know he's only checking out Thornton as a personal visit, they don't even approve of his 'business' relationship with Isabella.

"Oh. Well, do you need us?"

"I won't be making any attacks," he shakes his head, "I'll return before nightfall."

The others can barely nod their agreement before he's dashing out of camp and jogging towards Nottingham. He hopes at least that Prince John won't like Thornton and won't let him see Isabella. Robin knows how she fears her husband, and a couple of Thornton's soldiers have been hanging around Nottingham the last few days so they've been thinking her husband might show up.

* * *

Isabella's in her chamber, nursing a burn on her left elbow. It's in an almost-round shape, left by one of the pieces of burning coal tossed at her about an hour ago. Thornton had stormed in on her in the washroom even after Prince John had told him to leave Nottingham and never return. She's glad, for once, that the Prince wants to have her as his own because maybe be can get rid of her husband for her.

"Isabella," Robin hisses from the doorway, slipping inside the room and closing the door behind him.

She whirls around, "What are you doing here? It's not safe!"

"I had to see if you were all right... Your arm..."

"It's nothing," she shakes her head.

"Is that... Did your husband burn you?" Robin's fuming inside. Isabella simply nods. "I'm going to..."

"Don't!" she whispers, "John has it under control... I think he wants Thornton gone so that he can have me..."

"Well..." Robin shrugs. "That could be a good thing."

"That is a good thing," Isabella mutters, stepping up on tiptoes to kiss Robin softly, "You need to go, it's not safe - "

They hear footsteps nearing the door and she pushes Robin away, mumbling to let her handle it. He ducks behind a floor-length curtain and listens as he hears the door open, the sound of swords being sheathed and bodies dropping in the doorway and someone walk into the room.

"Darling Isabella..." the voice is low, charming. It's Thornton.

Isabella's face is immediately masked with fear as she steps backwards, towards the bed, "What are you doing here?"

"Did I not make myself clear in the washroom? I intend to get you, my wife, back... Prince John does not scare me."

"I don't want you," Isabella tells him, shuddering as the backs of her knees hit the wood of the bed frame.

"It's not up to you, is it?" Thornton hisses, bringing his palm across her cheek. Robin sticks his head out of the curtain as he hears the slap, and his eyes widen as he sees Thornton shove her down on the bed, her light body bouncing on the mattress. He notes the shadow of Thornton's guards standing just outside the open door.

Robin calculates the risks in his mind and he comes to the conclusion that he must kill Thornton right as Thornton draws a dagger on Isabella and slices into her collarbone. She cries out and grasps onto the sheets in pain.

"Stop!" she cries, but Thornton merely covers her mouth with his left hand and brings his right hand down on her arm, bruising her bicep and shoving her burnt elbow into the sheets. She cries out again, muffled by his hand, and tears spring to her eyes.

Robin can't take anymore, he moves as quickly as he can, but he has to get a quick kill in so that Thornton can't do anything in his dying breaths - like stab Isabella - and so he's going to have to shoot him in the neck. Sneaking up and stabbing him with his sword would be ideal, but Robin knows of the guards by the door that will surely notice him creeping up. He's in the process of loading his bow when Thornton harshly kisses his struggling wife, pins her arms above her head with his hands and crushes her body beneath his, resting one of his knees down on her chest. Isabella's sobbing and gasping and in immense pain, immobilized. She thinks Thornton might kill her, and for a moment she's almost willing to die it's this horrible. Thornton moves his lips to bite down on her neck, drawing blood, and she screams loudly. This scream earns a blow to the cheek, her husband not wanting to alert the Prince or the other guards to his unauthorized presence here. This blow to the cheek is also the final movement Thornton will ever make, as Robin shoots his arrow directly into his neck, killing him within seconds. Isabella sobs with relief, but doesn't have the energy to move her body from under his.

"Argh!" come the cries from Thornton's three guards rush into the room, and Robin is quick to slay them, before rushing to the bed and pulling Isabella out from under him.

She groans loudly and whimpers when she tries to stand. Robin looks at her with worry scrawled over his face. "Can you stand?"

She shakes her head, "My hip..."

Robin leans in and presses a kiss to her cheek, then scoops her hip in his arms, "We've got to get out of here... John's and your guards will surely have heard..."

"No!" Isabella shakes her head, "I'm sheriff, I'm safe here... You're not... Leave me, I'll stay."

"I can't leave you," Robin protests.

"Put me down! You need to go!" Her eyes are strong and he doesn't know how she has the energy to command him when she's just endured that. He reluctantly lowers her to the bed and she sniffles, tears dripping down her face.

"I don't want to - "

"You have to... I'll... I'll be okay..." she glances at Thornton's dead body and squeezes her eyes shut, not knowing what would have happened had Robin not been there.

"I love you," Robin tells her softly, dreading leaving her.

"I love you too."

He leans down and barely touches her lips before he reluctantly walks from the room, hearing shouts from the guards down the hall. He hates that he can't hold her in his arms and nurse her to health, for that would mean surefire death. And he hates that he wasn't able to kill Thornton straight away, having to let her endure any of that.

* * *

Some of John's men find her, and the Prince is pulled from his bath to come and see her. He finds her a sobbing mess, and she is able to blatantly reject him without him being too harsh - underneath his greedy, fucked up exterior, the Prince does have a soft spot for her. He sends for his doctor and arranges a guest room for her to spend the night in, Thornton's body still in her chamber.

A bandaged elbow, chest and hip later, Isabella is finally put to bed with assessed broken ribs, a torn muscle in her hip, multiple bruises to her face, arms and chest and other cuts from the dagger. She's bloody and bruised and aching and exhausted, yet she can't sleep. Fear consumes her despite Thornton being dead, and it takes numerous thoughts about Robin to fall asleep.

* * *

Robin returns to the camp just after nightfall, walking the distance instead of his usual jog. Thoughts plague his mind and the gang is restless when he returns.

"Well?" Kate asks.

"What took so long?" Much asks, worry on his face.

"Thornton?" Tuck queries.

"He's dead," Robin mutters, throwing his bow and quiver to the ground, his sword following. "I killed him."

They study him in shock, and finally Kate speaks, "Well I guess that means his and Prince John's plans are ruined... Good job."

Robin is wordless, just climbing into his bed. "I'm beat... Go back to the fire or whatever you were doing, I'll see you tomorrow."

Much hesitates to leave his best friend, worrying about him, but a wise hand from Tuck guides him away. Kate, Allan and Little John are quick to whisper their speculations when they return to their campfire.

A week later and Isabella's looking better on the outside - her bruises look like darkened areas of skin now - but her burn and her broken bones aren't close to being healed. The Prince is being surprisingly caring, making sure others always tend her to, however he fails in being there himself, which is why she could never fall for him. Robin's there's for her and he can't even legally enter Nottingham. He has a contact with one of the guards, and they've been slipping each other notes all week. These notes are the only things getting him through the days without being able to see her for himself. Every night is a battle she must win. His hands crawl along her skin; his fingers sting her cheeks... Her tears contaminate her pillow. He often takes walks by himself, and the gang are all clueless as to what's going on in his head. Kate tries to find out, only to be pushed away and ignored for the remainder of the day.

* * *

When she's well enough to walk again, she only walks to the doorway before her hip hurts too badly and she's carried back to bed by the guards.

"How are you feeling?" Prince John asks a few moments later as he walks into the room.

"In pain," she replies.

"Oh, Isabella..." he reaches to kiss her hand and she pulls it back quickly. "Isabella," his tone changes and his eyes narrow and before she can help it she's sobbing and wanting nothing more than to see Robin.

The prince leaves the room in annoyance, and the sheriff continues to cry as memory after memory of the horrible incidents cloud her mind. When she doesn't hear word from Robin for a few days she loses the ability to sleep. When he and the gang raid some rich men and go to give the money to the poor he instinctively checks the hollow log.

It's empty.

Of course it is, she can't walk. He slams his fist into a nearby tree and Much nearly trips over in horror.

* * *

Guy shows up from wherever he's been a few days later. He brings flowers to his sister, and many, many apologies flow from his lips. He tends to her wounds and when they have time alone, he tells her that he and Robin went to York to free their half-brother from jail.

"Half-brother?" she asks incredulously.

"Archer... Mother had an affair with Robin's father..."

"Oh," the information's a shock, but not nearly as big a shock as getting along with her brother.

"Speaking of affairs... Hood threatened my life if I didn't make up with you... What's going on there, sis?" Guy asks as he lightly wipes a sponge over her shoulder.

"I... We're in love..." she replies softly. "Please don't kill him."

"Don't worry, I'm part of his gang now... See?" Guy flashes her a carved tag and she blinks a few times.

"Life feels like a dream right now."

"A good dream, right?" Guy asks.

"Only this conversation is good... The last weeks... My thoughts... They're all nightmares..." her lips tremble.

"Isabella..." Guy whispers. "I am truly sorry... I love you."

She reaches for his hand, crying softly, "I love you too."

* * *

Robin's boots crunch through the soggy leaves. Autumn is well on its way and winter is approaching. His breath leaves a frosty mist in the surrounding air and the coolness is perfect for numbing his thoughts. John has doubled Nottingham's guards recently in an attempt to protect his "love" Isabella after her horrible attack. It's been three weeks now, and he's yet to see her. The gang know that she's the cause of his mood, though he hasn't explicitly stated it.

He hears a succession of quick crunches and turns to find Much running after him, "Robin," he calls.

"Yeah?"

Much doesn't say anything more until he's waking in stride with Robin. "I... You... Tell me what's going on!"

Robin takes one glance at Much's frown and sighs. "I'm... In love with Isabella," Much's eyes go wide; "We've been seeing each other for a few months now... And three weeks ago Thornton attacked her... It was... Awful... I killed him, and I haven't seen her since. She can't walk well... So... I've sent her notes but now John's doubled the guards..." Robin sighs while Much stands there looking like a fish, "I miss her."

"I, um, well... We'll sneak you into the castle!"

"Huh?"

"The gang! We'll sneak you in, protect you!"

Robin breaks out into a genuine smile and pulls Much in for a surprising hug.

* * *

Isabella walks up and down her chamber's length under the protective gaze of her brother She's beginning her nightly routine set out by him. She must walk gently, stretch her arms and legs, walk gently some more and drink four glasses of water. She's not at all sure how it helps, but the physician tells her it does, and she does feel more comfortable each day. But these exercises don't help the subconscious wounds. She's sinking further and further into herself each day since the incident, and she wishes she had Robin around to stop her, because without him she has no reason to.

"Psst," comes a hissing through the door. Guy frowns and opens it to have Much tumble into the room and Isabella gasps, stopping her exercises.

"Is it clear?" Much asks while Guy glances into the hall to see Allan drag the body of a guard into a nearby room.

"Yes, Isabella is doing her nightly exercises before bed... There shouldn't be any visitors after this," Guy tells Much, stepping forward to help pull him up. Much still seems shocked by the gesture, as merely a week prior Guy was one of their enemies. "It's clear," Guy tells Allan, figuring that they're helping Robin sneak in to see Isabella. Guy may be a part of the gang, but he's like Isabella, pretending to work for Nottingham and Prince John.

Robin soon walks down the hallway, and when he sees Isabella standing just inside the door he breaks out into a run, scooping her up in his arms and burying his face in her hair. Isabella throws her arms around his neck, sobbing with both joy and sorrow, ignoring the ache from her still-fractured ribs.

* * *

Guy tells John that Isabella's feeling unwell and she expects to be in her chambers for the next few days and would like no visitors save for her brother. Prince John obliges, not wanting to anger his potential Queen. Robin spends these days in her chamber, caring for her, helping her walk and making sure she's okay. When he has to leave she clings onto him tight, and he promises to visit soon now that she's able to walk around without pain. Isabella cries that she won't survive without him, she can't be alone anymore, so he decides to smuggle her out of Nottingham.

With the help of the gang, they steal her away in the dead of night and settle her into their hideout in the forest. It's awkward at first, but after about a week, the others grow used to her being around, and they're able to accept her as being one of their own since Guy is now a part of the gang. Kate avoids her, and Much is scared of her, but Robin always leaves Tuck or Allan behind to watch her as he's worried about her hip and the rough terrain.

Frequently she wakes in the night, tossing and turning in a cold sweat, fearing her husband's brutality. Robin masters the art of calming her down, knowing when to rub her lower back softly, when to run his hands through her hair, when to simply hug her close. He knows not to kiss her, as that just makes it worse when she's awoken from a nightmare. Sometimes she lashes out at him, believing in half-consciousness that he is her husband, but always apologizes profusely when she's properly awake.

Prince John is furious, but luckily for Robin, there is no suggestion that Hood has stolen her, and Guy plants the idea that Thornton's men kidnapped her in the Prince's mind, so he sends men to survey and interrogate Thornton's men until he is satisfied they haven't taken her and it must have been someone else. Guy acts the part of the devastated brother well, and he takes over Isabella's previous role as Robin's spy in the Prince's camp.

Robin never pushes Isabella to go further than a kiss; he's content with being near her and simply talking to her for the time being. They're head over heels in love, but he knows she's still too broken to make love. She sometimes flinches if he wraps his arms around her from behind, and he feels her quiver when he grazes her breasts. It's been four months since the incident, and physically she's fully healed, but mentally she's not. She's getting there, though, slowly.

* * *

"Robin," she whispers softly as his hands cup her face and her hands rest on his chest.

"Yes, 'Bel?" he asks, pulling away with a curious and concerned look.

"I'm ready," she tells him quietly, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him closer.

"Are you sure?" he asks, his hands slipping to her shoulders.

She nods, "Yes, absolutely," and glances around as if checking they're alone. They are, the others have gone to steal from the rich and give to the poor.

"Alright then…" Robin leans in to press a soft kiss to her lips before guiding her backwards towards the bed slowly. She seems to hesitate for a moment, before sitting down, he hovers over her and smiles down at her, "I love you, Isabella."

"I love you, Robin," she replies with a matching smile.

They make love slowly, tenderly with the sunlight creeping through the leafy roof and casting shadows around the hide out. Afterwards, they cuddle together under the blanket and Robin plays with her dark tangles, certain for once that she will be okay. Isabella sighs contently, feeling completely content and happy for the first time in half a year, and she knows too that she will be okay.

* * *

Time causes change, and over the next half-year, the Prince leaves Nottingham, makes Guy the Sheriff, who in turn un-outlaws Robin and his men and allows the shire to prosper. Isabella and Robin wed, and both bride and groom are eternally happy in lieu of the severity they have faced. They still fight occasionally, and disagree over many things, but they've both been waiting such a long time for a real love, and now that they've found it, they don't want to give it away.

* * *

The end.


End file.
